1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aircraft having a plurality of fuselages for increased payload.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of aeronautics, it has been a constant goal of aircraft operators to increase the amount of payload which can be transported in a single flight. Commercially speaking, market requirements dictate that the configuration of an aircraft be optimized for carrying the maximum payload of passengers and/or freight. This not only serves to limit the congestion of airports and air traffic by reducing the number of flights, but also reduces the operating cost of the flight. Accordingly, various fuselage designs have been analyzed and employed previously, as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,999 to Buchsel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,996 to Roeder et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,405,893 to Flamand et al.; however, such unconventional designs have been able to provide only moderate increases in payload capability. Each of these designs utilizes a single fuselage.
An aircraft design employing three separate and distinct fuselages is shown in a book entitled Giants of the Sky, by Bill Gunsten, which was based on a standard VC10 aircraft. While this arrangement increased the payload rather substantially, it used engines positioned between the central fuselage and the side fuselages. This arrangement radically departs from standard aircraft designs and is considered to be impractical.
It can be seen, then, that there is a need for a practical aircraft which significantly increases the payload which is available with present, single fuselage designs.